


Of Memories and Magic

by Jay_Hayden



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Love, Minor Angst, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 05:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11052654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_Hayden/pseuds/Jay_Hayden
Summary: Jace had spent many lazy childhood days at Taber Farm. And he'd loved every minute of it. There was a friend he loved to see every time and of course his amazing Grandpa Keith. But when his Grandpa passed away he couldn't bring himself to visit Stardew Valley, let alone Pelican Town, anymore. And slowly forced himself to forget it to keep himself moving. Still the envelope Keith had left him was always by his side reminding him that when his life became so much of a burden he couldn't bear it, there was something waiting... And maybe, just maybe someone was waiting.





	Of Memories and Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Daze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daze/gifts).



> This fic will feature dialogue that is direct from game as well as situations that the game directly inspires. There will also be dialogue and situations created from my own head that will play deep roles in the story and plot. This story is dedicated to my girlfriend daisyparty for believing in me and my writing, my Let's Playtuber younger brother benthebot, my good friend/adopted younger brother Skyler Alexander who shares my love for the game, ProJared on Youtube whose review inspired me to play it, and its creator Eric Barone aka concernedape. Please enjoy and leave any positive feedback and constructive criticisms as you see fit.

Jace was slouched in the backseat of his mom's minivan and being taken from the suburbs and toward his Hampop's farm. Yes it may _sound_ slightly rude but it had been the best Jace could manage to say when attempting "grandpa" when he was especially small and the nickname had stuck. Grandpa Keith, his official title, was a perfect host for a small boy who had a far greater place for him to run wild: his home a farmland property with plenty of room to play and he was a gentle soul whose natural skill at fishing was only rivaled by its patient teaching skills, and the gift for telling the most amazing stories involving monster battles. Every trip was something to love for Jace. Fishing with his grandpa in the many streams on the farm or palling around and playing with another dark haired boy in the town who was only a few months older than Jace. Sebastian who had fixed his Game Boy Color's wiring and could hide himself better than anyone if the game warranted it. His parent's couldn't even find him if he didn't want it. But no matter where he was hiding he kept a watch over his little sis Maru who was always stacking rocks and propping twigs against them in ways that seemed to be arms and legs. A girl with bright red hair in a braid often shyly watched them as they ran about though she never joined their fun. In spite of this whenever they passed her Sebastian shouted, "Penny catch us if you can!"

Jace never heard the girl answer causing him to wonder more than once, _Is her name really Penny? Maybe he's wrong._ Another girl with bright blue hair just laughed as they ran by while a smaller blonde girl next to her, stuck her nose in the air and looked away trying to appear disdainful.

So most trips would've had the boy crammed in at all sides with fishing gear, a sleeping bag and its pad, a beach ball maybe if the week had been forecast as nice. And pillows placed somewhere with leftover space. Today he was _not_ smiling and instead looked near tears. Nor was there much stuff in the car with him. A book, his Game Boy, and little else. His mom had ushered him into the car saying, "We need to go see Grandpa Keith before- well we won't see able to see him anymore for a long while and need to make sure he knows just how much he means to us. Daddy couldn't come Jace, he was way too happy lea- He's busy with work and doesn't get to be home much so coming to see Grandpa Keith right now... He couldn't make it."

Jace normally would've been slightly concerned but snippets of phone conversations he'd heard had made him more scared. Things like "Mr. Taber is doing poorly," "Keith's not got much time left," and perhaps most concerning of all his mom yelling into the phone: "Damnit Eric _screw_ the job, come say goodbye to your father!"

When the van finally pulled in next to Taber Farm Jace was leaping out of the van barely giving it time to reach a full stop running towards the door and forcing it open just enough to slip his small frame in. His eyes began to water when he saw his grandfather lying in bed looking more tired than the boy had ever seen him. The elderly man for his part brightened a little as he saw his beloved only grandchild approach. "Come to visit your old grandpa, Jace?" the old man asked, raising his head from the pillow.

"Grandpa, you need to get better okay? I wanted to go fishing this summer, let's go when you feel better, okay?" Jace rambled, trying not to let his unease into his tone.

"I'm going away for awhile Jace," Keith said looking at his grandson. "On a beautiful spring day you'll see me again. While living in this beautiful valley I've left something behind for everyone here and for my special grandson," he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Jace. "I want you to have this sealed envelope."

Jace went to open and asked, "Hampop, what's in it?"

Keith smiled a little but shook his head and said seriously, "No, no don't open it yet... Have patience. Now listen close... There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life... And your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my boy, you'll be ready for this gift. Now let grandpa rest..."

Having said his piece the old man closed his eyes, leaving Jace's small form with only the sound of a crackling fire and an envelope he'd been instructed to not open. Deciding to grant his Hampop some sleep, Jace slipped back out the door quiet as the mice he and Sebastian would sometimes catch for pocket money. Suddenly he noticed that darting in and around the trees surrounding Taber Farm was a flash of reddish-brown. He sat on the porch of his grandpa's house watching it until he noticed it was a kid, a girl probably judging by the fact her bouncing brown hair seemed to be in pigtails. Jace became so caught up in watching her slip in and out of the trees he didn't notice his mom walking up behind him until she clasped a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump. "Did you talk to grandpa, Jace? Did he say goodbye?" she asked, a tear slipping down her face.

"Yeah and he gave me a present, its in an envelope. He said now wasn't the time to open it but one day I would know it was right," Jace said. "Grandpa promised we'd see each other when he got back though, on a Spring day. He asked me to let him rest so I came outside. You always say rest helps make people feel better when sick mommy." Jace suddenly scanned the trees again looking for the girl he'd seen before.

"Jace-" his mom said choking up, looking very much like she wanted to say something but didn't have the words. "Jace, Hampop won't be coming back. Let's go inside and see him, okay?" Despite Jace's protests of his grandpa needing sleep his mom pulled him inside. His mom gently shook Keith's shoulder, saying his name but it didn't awake him she shook him harder and he still didn't stir. Jace's mom rushed them into town after that, as the house lacked a phone without really telling her son why.

From that point on, the rest of the day was as blurry as Jace's tears made his vision, one thread of thought running endlessly in Jace's mind, _Grandpa is gone, no more fishing, no more stories, no more Stardew, no more Taber Farms,_ nomoreGrandpaKeith _._

Jace never came back to Pelican Town after that day, never visited his grandpa's farm again. He needed to stay away from the town to make sure he moved forward. He let himself forget the time he'd spent there. But he never could forget his grandpa or the last things he had said. How could he? His mother had made him promise to keep the gift on him always and also ordered "Never let your father see that Jace. What's inside is _yours_. It can never be his or _theirs_." He kept his promise even after his mom and dad divorced in his early teens and his mom couldn't win more then visitation. Slowly Jace's life became empty for him without the mom who encouraged him as a regular part he ended up working in the company his dad had sold his life too, Joja Corp. It had gotten to the point he didn't even feel alive any longer, just empty. And so he reached into the drawer that held the envelope...


End file.
